Best Kansas City Public and Private School Districts in the Year 2022
The Blue Valley Unified School District in Johnson County has been ranked #1 among local public schools, while The Pembroke Hill School in Kansas City, MO was ranked the top private school, according to 2022 rankings list released by Niche. They analyze reviews and public data to create rankings and report cards for area schools, colleges and neighborhoods. The top 15 public school districts in the KC area for 2022 are:- Blue Valley Unified School District
- Blue Springs R-IV School District
- Lee’s Summit R-VII School District
- DeSoto Unified School District
- Olathe Public Schools
- Park Hill School District
- North Kansas City School District
- Liberty School District
- Shawnee Mission School District
- Grain Valley R-V School District
- Piper-Kansas City Unified School District
- Gardner-Edgerton Unified School District
- Smithville R-II School District
- Basehor-Linwood Unified School District
- Ewing Marion Kauffman School

- The Pembroke Hill School
- The Barstow School
- Notre Dame de Sion School for Girls
- Rockhurst High School
- St. Teresa’s Academy
- Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy
- Kansas City Christian School
- St. James Academy
- Whitefield Academy
- St. Thomas Acquinas High School
- Faith Christian Academy
- Maranatha Academy
- Bishop Miege High School
- Blue Ridge Christian School
- The Lutheran High School of Kansas City
Finding a Good School When Moving
From discipline and safety to test scores and student-to-teacher ratios, it’s time to start drilling down so you can settle on a school. Here are some tips.1. Get Recommendations
Ask for recommendations from friends, family members, community members, coworkers and teachers. If you’re moving within the same school system but will be at a different school, the teachers at your child’s current school should be able to tell you which location is best suited to your child. Your real estate agent is another key person to ask. They know how important school ratings are to their home buyers, which means they’ll likely have all the information you need to know about all local schools. They can supply you with facts, statistics, and details.
2. Go Online
Do some research online location and compare schools. Use websites like:- The National Center for Education Statistics: You’ll be able to view data for each school district in the KC area.
- GreatSchools: This is a national non-profit website that displays test scores and information for both public and private schools. You can check school ratings, programs, and parent reviews.
- SchoolDigger: Get info on school rankings, test scores, student/teacher ratios and district boundaries.
3. Take Tours
The only way you can really get a good feel for the culture and vibe of the school is to visit it in person with your child. This way, you can narrow down your choices. Just call the school to schedule a tour, where you can see the facilities, meet the administrators, visit classrooms, and watch how the teachers and parents interact. Ask detailed questions while on the tour, such as:- How many students are in each classroom?
- What is your mission statement or philosophy?
- What type of curriculum do you offer?
- How much homework is assigned each night?
- What kinds of projects do students do?
- What resources are available to students?
- How does the school measure progress?
- Is there a gifted students program?
- What about extra help?
- What support do you provide special needs students?
- What extracurricular activities and after-school clubs are available?
- Is there a dress code?
- How do you handle discipline, safety, and bullying?
- Is there bus transportation, and if so, what does it cost?
